June 2026
Why was the global response to COVID-19 so “gender-blind,” and how do we ensure it never happens again? In this second installment of our series, we move from analyzing the current crisis to reflecting on the hard-won lessons of the past few years. While the world focused on the virus, a secondary crisis was unfolding: a massive increase in unpaid care work, a surge in gender-based violence, and the critical failure to provide basic healthcare need (like menstrual hygiene) for the very women keeping the health system afloat.
Our panel of global experts discusses the “sobering reminder” of how slowly progress moves and why we must move beyond rhetoric to institutionalize systemic change. We explore the new Pandemic Agreement, the power of collective feminist action, and why “caring for the carers” must be the foundation of the next global health chapter.
Listen to the podcast here